New York Today: Ways to Give Thanks

There are lots of ways this holiday season to give thanks, but a good one is by giving back to some of the city’s neediest residents: the elderly, the homeless and those who might not be able to afford a Thanksgiving meal.

From 9 to 11 a.m. on Thursday, you can drop off one or more of the following at the church: rice, yams, greens, stuffing, string beans, baked macaroni and cheese, desserts or beverages.

Whether bringing a dish or not, all are welcome at the feast, which goes from noon to 4 p.m. In the past, the church has served residents of local homeless shelters, nearby workers who don’t have the day off, and even tourists visiting Harlem.

• At the Bowery Mission, volunteers plan to serve thousands of meals at their annual Thanksgiving celebration. (Last year, they served more than 8,000 dinners.)

All of their volunteering slots are filled, but you can drop off food donations, or shop for the organization’s specific Thanksgiving needs.

They are also accepting personal-size hygiene items and cold-weather clothing to distribute on Thursday, and signing up people to volunteer and fund-raise all year long.

• Help deliver Thanksgiving meals to families and shelters with FeedingNYC.

• If you have access to a vehicle, Citymeals on Wheels also needs volunteers to deliver dinners.

Later celebrated as Evacuation Day, it was used as part of a campaign to gather support for the Constitution. Later, it became a pretty big party. Some traditions (the raising of an American flag on a pole at the Battery) stuck around until the 1950s.

But in the 20th century, the day slowly became aligned with Thanksgiving, in part because Washington himself had proclaimed the day one of national prayer, or thanksgiving.